Golf club



Aug. 11, 1936.- A. E. LAR.; 2,050,001

` GOLF CLUB Filed April 6, 1935 Patented Aug. 11, 1936 GOLF CLUB Allan E. Lard, Washington, D. C.

Application April 6, 1933, Serial No. 664,804

4 Claims.

This invention is an improvement on my Patent No. 1,895,417, dated January 24, 1933, and relates to improvements in golf clubs, and particularly to those clubs in which, when a shot is made, the neck of the head rotates slightly on the shaft, causing the blade or head to turn and rebound under the action of rubber or some other resilient material interposed between the steel shaft and the wall of the socket in the head.

The primary object is to anchor the steel shaft in the socket of the iron head in such a way that the shaft cannot pull out of the socket the slightest distance and at the same time to provide means to impart to the blad-e a quicker and more powerful rebound than that afforded by the stretching or displacement of rubber. This quicker and more powerful rebound contributes to both the distance and direction of the shot.

A further object is to eliminate objectionable vibration of the blade on the shaft following the rebound of the blade or head after impact thereof with a ball.

Another object is to provide a golf club employing a resilient exible member such as a steel spring to anchor the shaft in the head of the club.

A still further object is to ease up or limit the stress to which the steel spring is subjected upon impact of the head with a ball.

While the improvement of this invention is applicable to golf clubs such as now used having rubber interposed between the round steel shaft and the wall of the socket of the iron head and bonded to both, said improvement is described herein more specifically in connection with a club having both a steel shaft and a socket of hexagonal outline in cross section, with rubber or some resilient material applied on the surfaces of said hexag-onal shaft. The shaft may be round and only that portion which enters the socket hexagonal; or the entire shaft may be hexagonal.

While the invention is illustrated and described in detail in connection with a golf club having a Shaft and socket hexagonal in cross-section, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this form of construction but that a shaft and head of other cross-sectional outline such as pentagonal or octagonal, or any other polygonal or non-'circular shape may be employed.

The aforesaid and other objects and advantages realized will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating several embodiments of the invention an-d wherein'- Fig. 1 is a perspective View, partly in section, showing the invention applied in connection with a metal club head of the midiron type;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of said club head alone;

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections on lines 5 3-3 and 4 4 respectively of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are perspective views of a connection member termed a rebound anchor;

Figs. 8 and 9 are views, partly in section at right angles to each other, showing the rebound 10 anchor secured at one end in the Small end of a tapering tubular metallic hexagonal shaft;

Fig. 10 is a View in full elevation corresponding to Fig. 9;

Figs. 11 and 12 are transverse sectional views 15 on lines Il-ll and |2-l2 respectively of Fig. 10;

Figs. 13 and 14 are views in elevation each partly broken away and showing six equi-distant radiating strips or fingers, Fig. 13 being of rubber 20 25 Fig. 16 is an enlarged transverse section on line lli-I6 of Fig. 1; Y

Figs. 17 and 18 are views in perspective of modified constructions of the rebound anchor;

Fig. 19 is a view in perspective of a rubber 30 sleeve or cap such as may be used in place of the rubber with radiating fingers such as shown in Fig. 13;

Fig. 20 shows a modified construction in which one end of the rebound anchor is secured in the 35 extreme end of the tubular metallic shaft;

Fig. 2l is a diagrammatic view illustratingY the relative turning of the neck on the shaft upon impact of the blade with a ball; and

Fig. 22 shows another construction of the re- 40 bound anchor.

Referring to said drawing-Fig. 1 shows an iron head of the mid-iron type, having a blade 30 and a tubular neck or hosel 3l of hexagonal outline in cross-section, both exteriorly and interior- 45 ly, except that at the lower end 32 of the socket (Fig. 2) the hexagonal outline merges into a circular outline.

A connection member, termed a rebound anchor, shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is formed from a 50 piece of high carbon spring hexagonal steel rod of the desired length, approximately 1%, which is shown in Fig. 5. The sides of this piece of rod are milled off, beginning 1A" from each end, and

the lower end thereof is turned to circular out- 55 line, thus leaving a fiat link portion 33, about le" thick and 1 long, having an enlarged 1/4" long hexagonal portion 34 at the upper end thereof and a somewhat smaller 1A," long cylindrical portion at the lower end thereof, as shown in Fig. 6. Both side edges of the link 33 are then concaved, as shown in Fig. 7, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The rebound anchor is inserted, hexagonal end 34 first, into the small end of a tubular tapering hexagonal steel shaft 36, a portion of which is shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, and is forced into the shaft until only its cylindrical end 35 projects slightly beyond the end of the shaft, as shown in said figures. A small hole is then bored through the shaft and the end portion 34 of the rebound anchor and a pin is driven through said hole and riveted at both ends and filed flush. The side edges of the link 33 being concaved, as before stated, they are clear of engagement with the interal wall of the shaft. By thus securing the rebound anchor in the end of the shaft so that only the end 35 thereof projects beyond the shaft, it is not necessary to make the neck 3| of greater length than now commonly used. But, as shown in Fig. 20, the rebound anchor may, if desired, be positioned so that only its end 34 is in the shaft, in which event the neckv 3| may be made correspondingly longer and the bore thereof deeper, as shown in dotted lines in said figure.

As shown in Fig. 22, the enlarged ends 34a, and 35a of the rebound anchor and the steel portion 33a thereof, m'ay be made in separate pieces. Each end 34a and 35a has a slot in which 33a is secured by a pin riveted at both ends. In this construction the lower end portion 35a is preferably made of a non-metallic material, such as fiber, compressed rags composition, or the like, whereby there will be no metal-to-metal contact of the rebound anchor with the neck of the head.

As shown in Fig. 17, the rebound anchor may be formed in its entirety from a flat piece of spring steel 1% long and somewhat thicker than the links hereinbefore described. This rebound anchor would be positioned and secured in place and the link portion 33h clear of contact with the wall of the socket, all in the same m'anner as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 with reference to the the link portion 33 there shown.

Further, a rebound anchor of circular cross section shown in Fig. 18 may be used, the same being turned from a suitable piece of cylindrical spring steel rod with its smallest diameter at the middle portion 33C thereof.

Y The part of the shaft which enters the neck is hexagonal, except that its extreme end is rounded for about My; and the bore in the neck is likewise made hexagonal, except that the extreme bottom portion 32 thereof (Fig. 2) is rounded for about 1/4. Thus, the shaft and socket are correspondingly shaped and are so dimensioned that the shaft fits within the socket with sufficient clearance for the interposition of rubber and steel about to be described.

Having secured the rebound anchor in the end of the shaft, in the manner shown in Fig. l0, the next step is to apply, over the end of the shaft and projecting portion 35 of the rebound anchor, pure rubber approximately .035 thick, cut or form'ed to the shape shown in Fig. 13 and comprising an approximately circular central portion 4Q and six equi-distant radiating fingers or strips 4| each of a width slightly less than the width of the flat surfaces of the hexagonal contour of the shaft. This is accomplished by applying said center portion 40 of the rubber against the circular fiat end of part 35 of the rebound anchor and then extending the six ngers 4| along and against said six fiat surfaces of the shaft and temporarily fastening the rubber ngers in place by any suitable means, such as a rubber band. Thin sheet steel and 3/1000ths inch thick, shaped as shown in Fig. 14, and comprising a central approximately circular portion having six radiating fingers 46, is then applied over the rubber and temporarily held in place, as by a rubber band. The purpose of the steel is to cover the rubber and thus enable the tapered shaft to be driven into the tapered socket without tearing, wrinkling or otherwise displacing the smooth even surface of the rubber as it is pressed out thinner in the driving operation.

While the rubber and steel members have been described and illustrated as having six radiating fingers and are designed for use with a hexagonal shaft, it should be understood that4 if a shaft of different cross-sectional outline, and having a different number of faces, is employed, the rubber and steel members may have more or less than six radiating fingers so as to have one finger for each face of the shaft.

The end of the shaft with the coverings of rubber and steel so applied, as shown in Figs. l5 and 15, is then driven tightly into the socket in the neck of the metal head to the position shown in Fig. 1; an opening is drilled through the neck 3|, through the end 35 of the rebound anchor, and through the interposed layers of thin rubber and steel. A pin 41 is now driven through said hole riveted at both ends and flushed to the outer surface of the neck. Such portions of the ends of the rubber ngers 4| and steel fingers 4B as may e tend beyond the neck 3| are trimmed off flush with the end thereof. If unvulcanized rubber has been used, it may be vulcanized at this stage of the procedure while a part of the assembled structure.

A resilient sleeve or thimble 50, Fig. 1, which may be slipped onto the small end of the shaft before it is inserted in the socket, is next secured in position against the end of the neck or hosel in a compressed state.

The shaft is thus securely anchored in the socket and cannot pull out the slightest distance. At the same time, upon impact of the head with a ball, the link 33 of the rebound anchor (said anchor being rigidly secured at its upper end to the shaft and at its lower end to the neck, as explained above) resiliently yields and thus permits limited turning of the blade relative to the shaft followed by a quick and powerful rebound, this action taking place without frictional engagement between relatively turning surfaces or parts.

In the diagrammatic view, Fig. 2l, the full line hexagonal outline a: represents the outer surface of the end of the shaft, and the full line outline y represents the interior surface of the socket in the neck of the head. The rubber interposed between these surfaces is not shown. Upon impact with a ball, there is a limited turning of the blade and its neck in the direction of the arrow to a position approximated by the dotted hexagonal outline y, thereby causing the surface y to move toward the surface .r at a number of points such as z and displacing the interposed rubber at such points.

In place of the rubber with radiating fingers, as shown in Fig. 13, a rubber cap or sleeve 5| may be used, such as shown in Fig. 19, about 21/2" long, hexagonal, polygonal or other noncircular shape both interiorly and exteriorly, and molded to t the end of the shaft tightly when drawn over the same. Furthermore, this cap may be perforated or corrugated to provide more freedom or room for displacement.

Under stress of impact with a ball, which causes the neck to rotate on the shaft and the blade to turn, the points of the hexagonal rubber sleeve cap on the shaft and the center of the hexagonal fiat faces of the neck move closer together as before stated, thus exerting a pressure which indents or displaces the rubber. At the same time the hexagonal faces are displacing the yielding rubber under stress of impact, the link 33 of the rebound anchor is being twisted, and upon the back-lash (the rebound anchor being of tempered steel) the said link imparts to the blade a quick and powerful rebound, giving the ball an additional kick, The rubber faces of the tapered shaft, when driven down in the tapered socket, are normally under great pressure, and such pressure, while not great enough to prevent displacement or stretching of the rubber or the twisting of the tempered steel link 33 under impact, is great enough, in conjunction with the resilient resistance of the steel link 38?,"'to`absorb or cushion the jar of impact. Then comes the quick and powerful rebound of the head or blade, due to the back-lash of the twisted tempered steel link 33. This rebound would cause the blade not only to snap back to its normal position before impact occurred, but would cause it to overthrow and vibrate back and forth were it not that the instant the rubber-covered fiat faces of the shaft are re- Seated upon the corresponding flat faces of the neck, they are held in their seated positions by the aforesaid pressure on the opposing faces, and all overthrow and vibration are stopped instantly.

The jar, vibration and overthrow, if not absorbed and overcome, would travel up the shaft to the gripping hands and cause the shot to sting the ngers.

The aforesaid construction applies to wooden heads as well as to irons.

The socket of the wooden head is burned to hexagonal, polygonal or other suitable or noncircular shape by inserting a red hot taper arbor of a suitable shape in a small round tapered hole in the socket.

The faces of the non-circular outline of the shaft may be either concave or convex instead of fiat, and the faces of the non-circular internal wall of the neck made to register therewith.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with particular reference to its application to a golf club having a metal head, it is understood that it may be applied also to wooden headed clubs, such as drivers and brassies. Furthermore, the invention is applicable to both metal headed and wooden headed clubs in which the bore or socket for receiving the end of the shaft is either closed at its lower end, as illustrated in the drawing in reference to a metal head, or open at both ends; and the term socket as used in the claims embraces both. Dimensions of parts other than those mentioned may of course be used.

What is claimed is:

l. In a golf club, a tubular shaft, a head having a tubular hosel, an elongated metallic link telescoped within an end of said shaft, said link provided with opposite head portions, one of said head portions non-rotatably secured within said shaft end, the other said head portion projecting outwardly beyond the said shaft end, said shaft being telescoped for a substantial dis tance within said hosel, the outwardly projecting link head positioned near the bottom of the hosel bore and non-rotatably secured to the hosel, and rubber cushioning material compressed between opposing relatively telescoped surfaces of said hosel and said shaft end.

2. In a golf club, the combination of a shaft having a tubular head end portion, a head having a socket portion telescoped over the said head end portion of the shaft, a resilient metallic link having relatively enlarged ends conforming respectively to the internal contour of the head end portion of the shaft and the socket portion of the head, and connecting the same against' longitudinal movement, the said link adapted to torsionally resist movement between the head and shaft upon impact with a ball, and elfecting a relatively quick reverse turning, and cushioning means interposed between the said shaft head end portion and socket for checking said reverse turning.

3. In a golf club, a tubular shaft, a head having a tubular hosel, an elongated metallic link telescoped within an end of said shaft, said link provided with opposite head portions, one of said head portions non-rotatably secured within said shaft end, the other said head portion projecting outwardly beyond the said shaft end, said shaft being telescoped for a substantial distance within said hosel, the outwardly projecting link head positioned near the bottom of the hosel bore and non-rotatably secured to the hosel, rubber cushioning material disposed between opposing relatively telescoped surfaces of said hosel and said shaft end and means comprising a plurality of strips of harder material than said rubber cushioning material disposed in circumferentially spaced relation between said cushioning material and the inner walls of said hosel and extending longitudinally thereof.

4. In a golf club, a tubular shaft, a head having a tubular hosel, an elongated metallic link telescoped within an end of said shaft, said link provided with opposite head portions, one of said head portions non-rotatably secured within said shaft end, the other said head portion projecting outwardly beyond the said shaft end, said shaft being telescoped for a substantial distance within said hosel, the outwardly projecting link head positioned near the bottom of the hosel bore and non-rotatably secured tothe hosel, rubber cushioning material disposed between opposing relatively telescoped surfaces of said hosel and said shaft end and means comprising a plurality of strips of harder material than said rubber cushioning material disposed in clrcumferentially spaced relation between said cushioning material and the inner Walls of said hosel and extending longitudinally thereof, said means comprising also an interconnecting portion for said strips at the lower ends of said strips and disposed in said hosel below the lowermost enlarged link end.

ALLAN E. LARD. 

